Court upholds order for FIR against Sambit Patra, directs police not to name him as accused
BJP leader Sambit Patra assailing a magisterial court's order of November 2021 directing the Delhi Police to register an FIR against him for allegedly posting a doctored video of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal supporting the now-scrapped farm laws. The court, however, directed the police to probe the allegations without naming Patra as an accused.
It noted the police's initial report, according to which Patra was not the originator of the forged video and had unwittingly uploaded it on a social media platform.
Assistant Sessions Judge Dheeraj Mor was hearing Patra's revision plea against the order of a magistereal court directing the Station House Officer (SHO) of the IP Estate police station to register an FIR under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and conduct a thorough investigation against the BJP national spokesperson while allowing the application of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Atishi.
Atishi had moved the court seeking registration of an FIR against Patra claiming the video contained statements that were diametrically opposite to the stand taken by the Delhi chief minister and the Aam Aadmi Party on the farm laws, and caused discontent and dissatisfaction in the minds of farmers.
«There is no illegality or error or infirmity in the impugned order. Accordingly, the present revision petition is hereby dismissed with the directions to the SHO concerned to comply with the impugned order immediately in true letter and spirit except to name the petitioner (Patra) as an accused in the FIR,» ASJ Mor said in a judgment passed on Monday.
He clarified that the court had directed registration of FIR as the complaint disclosed the commission of a cognisable offence and it may not be construed that the court
